<p>[Princeton</a> University - Alice Chang: Perspective on the future of Princeton mathematics](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S33/06/35O27/index.xml?section=topstories]Princeton”>http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S33/06/35O27/index.xml?section=topstories)</p>
<p>One paragraph that’s extremely important for potential math majors: </p>
<p>We also are taking on a major reorganization of our entire undergraduate curriculum, and rewriting the syllabus for each course. In addition, we plan to add a number of “bridge” courses for first-year graduate students and our upper-level undergraduate math majors that will be designed to close the gap between our graduate and undergraduate curricula. These courses will allow for undergraduates to learn basic topics in advanced mathematics and for graduate students to develop a solid background in topics they might not have learned as undergraduates.</p>
<p>So is this a good thing or does it mean the department will be in turmoil for the next few years?</p>
<p>I think it’ll be really good thing… but I’ll know a lot more after tomorrow, when the professors who are in charge of the reorganization are talking to the math club about the changes.</p>
<p>stlkarategal: Thank you for the info! Can you please let us know your thoughts after the meeting?</p>
<ul>
<li>Starting next year, there will be a bunch of new “bridge courses”, which will be introductory grad classes which are meant to also be appropriate for juniors and seniors (they have grades and hw, and don’t assume knowledge beyond stuff taught in undergrad courses). This means that courses which previously were offered very sporadically as “topics in ______” will become regularly taught grad classes.<br></li>
<li>Starting next year, the introductory algebra course will change from being one semester to two semesters. This is a huge improvement, as there was just way too much material to cover in one semester.<br></li>
<li>Courses are being renumbered in a way that makes more sense (so the second digit represents the area of math) </li>
<li>The year after next, the first year math major courses will change. Most likely, 215 will be split into two tracks (depending on whether or not you already are familiar with proofs). We’re thinking about possibly combining 215 / 217 / 218 into one year long integrated course, but we’re still really trying to figure out the best way to do it. </li>
<li>We’re trying to figure out how to make advising better. Probably a component of this will be peer advising (upperclassmen advising underclassmen, grad students advising upperclassmen).<br></li>
<li>We want to make freshmen and sophomores more a part of the department. This means putting them on an email list, having advising for them within the department, etc. </li>
<li>We’re also thinking about possible changes to independent work. One thing that’s definitely happening is that all the professors will have to submit a brief summary of their research interests and a few ideas for possible independent work projects. This will make it a lot easier for students to find advisors. There are changes to the format of junior seminars being considered (or possibly just giving more guidance to the professors teaching them so what actually happens in junior seminars matches up more with what we want to be happening.) </li>
<li>We’re trying to put a lot more information online about courses, independent work, options for the summer, applying to grad school, etc. </li>
</ul>
<p>I think all of these things are going to be really great. The professors are really interested in hearing our ideas and feedback and working with us to make a better undergraduate experience. They’re putting a lot of time and effort into thinking everything through.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the info stlkarategal!</p>
<p>stlkarategal,</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. Can you answer a few more questions? Are there placement exams for the various math courses? The reason I ask is, if my son chooses to attend Princeton, he will come in with a very unconventional background. As a homeschooler, he took a bunch of community college math classes (through Dif. Equ. in his sophomore year) but then has worked with a tutor online one on one for the past two years, first studying upper division Dif Equ/Dynamical Systems and now studying Real Analysis. </p>
<p>He’s probably going to major in math (or physics). Would he talk with the Dr. Chang about where he would begin his studies? Or are there automatic placement exams for all freshman and sophomore classes? </p>
<p>I guess he can ask these questions at the Princeton Preview if he has time…</p>
<p>There are no placement exams. However, his background is similar to that of other math majors. It is quite common for freshman to enter Princeton with several semesters or years of college level math. He will be able to figure out which courses he should start out with during orientation. There’s a lot of dropping and adding of higher level math classes during the first few weeks of each semester as students figure out the best classes for them.</p>
<p>There are no placement tests. Probably, math majors are going to be your best bet in helping to figure out your placement. We try to be very available for this sort of thing at the beginning of the year - we’ll be at the math department open house, math club events, the advising fair, the activities fair, etc. </p>
<p>Basically, I would advice him to look through Rudin’s Principle’s of Mathematical Analysis. If he knows the material from at least the first 5 chapters of the book and is able to do some of the exercises (which are all proofs), then he can skip 215. if his real analysis class was not proof based, then he probably will still need to take 215.</p>